Freedom Fighters
by Firestar47
Summary: When 11 of the most powerful countries get kidnapped, will Alfie and the others, along with their less powerful nation guides, be able to help free their nations before its too late? Fail summary fails guys... please read, its much better, I promise!
1. Prologue

The Brit growled. "Alfred! Where the bloody hell did you run off to?" The American didn't answer. He hissed and ran his hand through his messy blond hair. Leave it to Alfred to run off and leave him in a foreign store with no clue how to navigate it. "I swear, when I find that good for nothing, son of a-" the ex-pirate trailed off and muttered curses under his breath against the nation who had dragged him there. He stormed off to go and find his companion. His liquid emerald eyes shone with annoyance as he briskly walked through the maze of isles and wound his way up the spiral staircase.

"Alfred!" he called. "Alfred, where have you gone?" Still no answer. Oh what the country wouldn't do for a nice cup of tea to help sooth his frazzled mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and moved up another level of the spiral staircase to the 3rd floor of the building. He continued to grumble curses against his former colony under his breath as he wandered through one of the store's many levels.

"Oh hello their sir!" said a Japanese woman cheerfully. The Briton forced a smile to the bubbly woman, who seemed to be in her early 20's, "Hullo there miss." "Ooooh someone from England, huh?" she giggled. The nation blinked his eyes and opened his mouth to respond but got cut off. "Well, could you do me a favor and try this? Its just something my boss is having me do. I need to take a survey of how people like the taste." She groaned and held out her hand with a little piece of what seemed to be chocolate. He rolled his green eyes. "I know how bosses can be lass. I'd be delighted to help you get through with your task sooner." He popped the candy in his mouth. "Well?" asked the woman. "Its-" suddenly the sweet flavor changed. He gagged. It had turned bitter in his mouth and felt like flames racing down his throat and consuming him. The woman smiled and put a check mark down on her clipboard. "England, check."

The nation dropped to his knees as his surrounding started to fade to black. "W-what the…bloody…hell…" he spat. "Oh don't worry. You're just going to go comatose." She clapped her hands and two men clothed in black scooped up the nation. As they took him to a machine, covered in black curtains to hind its presence, magic assisting of course, and he heard her last words.

"You're going to go comatose. Just like America and the rest of the nations so we can drain your countries power. Bit by bit."

And then, England's head rolled to the side, and in his oblivion, didn't notice the bomber jacket his head rested on, belonging to the nation next to him.


	2. Chapter 1

Everyone gets pissed at his or her parents every so often. I'm no different. We had an argument and I had taken enough fighting for one day, so I grabbed my bomber jacket, car keys, and speed off. Granted I only had my learners permit, but like that was going to stop me.

My name's Alfie. I turned fifteen a few months ago. I have long ash blond hair with an annoying cowlick. I also have to wear my black and white framed glasses over my bright blue eyes all the time. I'm average in height and weight, but not in personality. I tend to keep to myself, but when I'm with my friends, I don't have many, I'm energetic and pretty spunky. But I'm not into normal teen girl things. No, I like planes, superheroes, and stuff like that. In fact that's what my parents and I were arguing about. They also think I'm mad all the time because of the expression I set my face in, but I just don't trust people too easily. Plus I guess I'm rather tough and, like I've said before, I tend to keep to myself.

I sighed and pushed my red converse sneaker down on the gas pedal, while turning up the radio on my car, causing heavy metal music to blare even louder from the speakers. Who was singing, I couldn't tell you. All I knew is that the music fit my mood.

Angry.

I hummed along to the melody of the song I knew my parents wouldn't approve of. _"So to those who don't fit society's mold, better swim or you will drown!"_ cried the musician. "Got that right," I grumbled, joining in for the chorus. I'm sure people around me thought I was too young to be driving by myself, and yeah they were right, but they didn't say or do anything except keep driving. _"So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why do they all get to live and I have to die? And the angels sing, let it shine, let it shine. Dry the teardrops from my eyes. And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind cause the dead can't testify! And because I can't take an eye for an eye, in the afterlife I'll haunt you 'til you die!"_ I hummed, while thumping my fingers on the steering wheel and merging into the correct lane for me to turn in.

When I had pulled into the parking lot, I yanked on my brown leather bomber jacket. It had a faux white fur collar, trim around the end on the sleeves, and the bottom of the jacket. It was rather worn, but simply due to the fact I wore it constantly. It was comforting. I inhaled and the smell of coffee and earth reached me. Odd combination, I know, but it smelt good. I love coffee and I love to be outside. I suppose if you don't like those things, you probably wouldn't like the smell of my jacket too much. I ran my fingers through my hair and gave a deep sigh.

Life could be so aggravating.

I knelt and re-tied the laces of my favorite red shoes. I was never too good at tying them, but its better then nothing. I straightened the sloppy bow that I'd double knotted to keep it tied longer. Then I stood and locked my car, twirling the keys around my left pointer finger as I checked that it had indeed locked. Finally satisfied that it had, I started to walk in to the store. Now, I was here to go and see a movie, maybe just walk around to calm my nerves, get a coffee, you know, things like that.

It was cloudy and drizzling ever so slightly. I allowed myself a small smile. Oh how I love days like this. Sun was just too happy for my liking. There weren't too many cars in the parking lot, maybe five or six others at the max.

I went out of my way to go and step in a few shallow puddles, what teen doesn't? Ok, probably a lot, but I still liked to. I strolled into the store, pushing past the big glass door with metal hinges. I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket and growled when a Justin Beiber song was playing. Are you kidding? Playing that tasteless crap? A very bored looking clerk greeted me with a monotone hello, and I nodded back to her. I wiped the bottom of my shoes quickly on the mat, trying to get rid of as much water as possible, not that I really cared if they squeaked or not. I could easily hear two little boys' squeals of excitement. Then, the two came barreling toward me. They couldn't have been more than the age of twelve, and they were identical, both with black hair and green eyes. But what really got me, what mother puts her twin boys in the EXACT same outfit? They had on denim jeans, and a red t-shirt with a green Ralph Lauren logo on the lapel. I cursed under my breath as one of them used me as a shield to hide behind. Twisting me by my shoulders to keep me between him and his brother.

"That is enough!" I roared in anger and shook the one boy from my shoulders and dusted off my jacket, stalking away, but not missing one whispering to the other, "What's her problem?" My scowl deepened and I'm sure my bright blue eyes were burning with hate. This is currently doing the opposite of relaxing me. Not what I wanted to be doing.

I like my space, and especially from people I don't know or kids younger than myself. Those two brats had been both. And doing that to a person in a public store who they didn't know? Uncalled for! They should be grateful I didn't hurt either of them. I rubbed my temple, migraine. Wonderful. Just what I needed. _Coffee,_ I thought, _Yes, coffee sounds great._ I pulled my bomber jacket tighter around me and let myself be calmed by its sent. I breathed out heavily. _Coffee. Let's go get coffee Alfie._ I told myself and started walking over to a little coffee shop inside the store.

Two other teens were sitting on a bench leisurely sipping on their beverages. One was a boy about the age of seventeen. He had shaggy blond hair and deep brown eyes. He seemed rather tall and well built. A silver cross hung around his neck and stood out against his white muscle shirt and matched nicely with the silver stripe down his black basketball shorts and tan sandals. The girl next him looked considerable younger, maybe the age of thirteen or fourteen. Her hair was light brown that fades to white on the ends. It had darker brown streaks on it and her light brown eyes shone with mischief. She wore an ice blue tank top and tan shorts with black flip-flops. Both had coffees, encouraging me to step up and order mine.

A few seconds later, I had my nice hot, black, coffee. Nothing tastes better. I handed a few dollars to the barista, telling him to keep the change. I caught sight of a boy about my age with bleach blond hair and hazel eyes as I walked away. A girl with silver hair that had a black streak in it and ice blue eyes stood on his left and a boy with light blond hair, dark blue eyes, and wire-rimmed glasses stood to his right, clutching a book to his chest. The bleach blond looked maybe sixteen, the light blond looked about fourteen, and the silver-haired girl maybe twelve. Up a floor or two was a pushed out window. I loved to sit of the ledge and watch the traffic speed by. It was relaxing.

My converse shoes were still squeaking a little bit as I made my way up the winding staircase to my little window. However, I'm pretty sure I was alone, so the squeaking wouldn't bother anyone. I sipped my coffee and felt my headache ebbing slightly. Good. I sat on the ledge, sipping my coffee. I was being more and more relaxed by the instant. Rain dripped down the window, causing the colors of the cars and lights to run and blur. It was beautiful. The only regretful thing, was how often people seemed to be in a rush to get places. If only they would slow down and enjoy the part of the trip that was getting there. I sighed sadly, and took another long sip of my coffee. Perfection. Now this is how I like to unwind.

Suddenly a door shot open and someone put one hand over my mouth to keep me quiet and another hand around my waist. The hands yanked me back and I dropped my coffee as I was yanked into a dark closet that shut with a click as it locked in place.

I was stuck.


	3. Chapter 2

Options started to race through my head and I went over my situation. OK, so, someone has just dragged me into a closet, the door locked, no lights were on, and this person had one hand on my waist and the other over my mouth. Lets see, I could pull out my switchblade! No wait that's at home… Uh… What did I have that I could use as a weapon of some sort that seemed threatening, besides my fists?

As the gears in my head spun, a chilling metal blade was pressed against my neck. I tensed up all my muscles and stood rigid. The cold metal suddenly whipped upwards and I could feel my hair flutter to the ground. "W-wha…" I stuttered as the person put one hand on my shoulder and turned me around to face them and a black metal ax met my already wary gaze. I bit back a shriek, and instead opted to study my captors face and surroundings. He seemed fairly young, maybe eighteen, nineteen, twenty? Something like that… Like my cowlick, he had spiky blond hair that seemed to defy every law of gravity. His blue eyes shone with worry. He had on a red dress shirt and a long black overcoat. We seemed to be in a small janitors closet. There were a few plastic trash cans, a couple brooms, a mop or two, some wet floor signs, and a couple of pails that could hold at least a gallon of water on the floor. A few shelves were on the walls, lined with all sorts of cleaners and bleaches. There was also a small workbench with some tools on it and a radio. Even janitors need some entertainment, I guess. A basin sink was in the corner. It had rusted slightly and has some soap on the side and a sponge. The one source of light in the room was a light bulb on the ceiling with one of those cords you pull and it flickers on. The man's blue eyes darted all over my figure and I couldn't help but feel nervous and defensive. "Just who the heck are you and why in God's name did you cut my hair like a boys?" I spat angrily. He just stood there and continued to look me over. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Ah! So you're with England, America, and Canada are you?" he asked. "Huh?" I asked dumbfounded. He rolled his eyes and twisted my left arm around.

Three old World War Two insignias were on my bomber jacket. I suppose now is good of a time as any to say I'm fascinated with World Wars. So my geeky mind instantly recognized them. The top one was on my shoulder and it was the American star emblem, and then, in the middle of my upper arm, was England RAF's insignia, and finally, a little above my elbow, Canada's Air Force. "Cool." I breathed. "Now kid, check out your other sleeve." Said the man in front of me. I obeyed and looked at my sleeve. A Danish flag had appeared on the worn leather where the shoulder was. "That. Is. Wicked." I gasped. How they got there, I suppose I'll never know. Then the man decided to test his limits with me. He cupped my cheeks and looked my face over. "God…You look just like America…" he murmured. "I beg your pardon?" I squeaked. This was way too close of contact with a stranger for my liking. This guy had better back off now if he had any wish to continue living, or I'd make him flunk out of life. Permanently. He laughed softly. "And you dress like him too." He frowned. "Well, minus the necklace but whatever." "And what's wrong with my necklace?" I demanded, grabbing the arrowhead defensively. "My best friend just so happened to give me it over three years ago!" I hissed. You do NOT, under any circumstances, say anything bad against my necklace! "Oh nothing's wrong with it! I'm just saying that America doesn't wear it! He wears dog tags." I scowled.

Rude. Doesn't even ask if I wear dog tags. Just like most people. Always make assumptions about others and don't let them tell you how wrong you are. I balled one hand into a fist and grit my teeth. "Do you by any chance mean things like these?" I asked stiffly, seething, as I pulled on a second silver chain around my neck where a dog tag and a small, silver, Sopwith Camel charm hung. His bright blue eyes widened. "O-oh! Y-yeah just like that!" My bright blue eyes narrowed and I dropped the chain. "I'm leaving." I said as I reached for the door handle. I froze once more as the blade of his ax reached around and dug into my skin slightly. "No! You cant!" he begged. "Not that I have a choice anymore." I huffed, trying not to let my fear show. I crossed my arms and turned back around to face the strange man with my face set in a scowl. This man was really starting to get on my nerves. "Why can't I go? You even spilt my coffee." I hissed. I stared straight into his blue eyes with as much fury as I could muster.

It was obviously working.

He started to dart his gaze around, unsure of himself again. "W-Would you knock that off?" he asked nervously. "Give me one good reason." I snarled. He sighed. "Of course. Of all the kids here, you just have to be the one I get stuck with." "Explain!" I roared, drawing a pocketknife from my bomber jackets left pocket. He backed up, alarmed, seemingly have forgotten he held the far superior ax. "I-I'm Denmark!" He said, looking between the fire flickering in my eyes and the faintly glittering blade. Oh yes, this was more like it. I took a few steps forward and my red converse gave a small squeak. "Why did you pull me into this freaking BROOM CLOSET?" I howled. "Ok, ok! I'll tell you everything but for God's sake, hush!" cried the man who called himself Denmark in alarm, looking in terror at the locked door. "Better." I snarled. Now maybe I could understand what the heck was going on here!

"I'm Denmark," he said again. "As you have already stated." I growled while rolling my eyes. Honestly! Please don't waste my time here! He continued, ignoring my interruption. "I'm sure you know what a personification is, right?" I nodded. "Good, and you've heard of nations such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland-" "Yes." I hissed, effectively cutting him off. "I know about different countries. Contrary to what you may think, I am not an idiot. Continue." "Spunky. I like that." He chuckled before continuing on with his explanation. "So, each country has a personification. Like I am the personification of Denmark. Every nation has a personification. And currently, the personifications of Germany, Japan, North Italy, South Italy, Spain, Russia, China, France, America, England, and Canada are trapped and slowly being drained of their power." He looked at me, and the gears in my head were spinning trying to process what he had just told me. "So, each nation has a person who represents them. Like their essence?" He nodded. "Ok, so, why do I have these three emblems of America, England, and Canada on my sleeve?" I asked, more or less getting the whole personification thing. The personification of Denmark looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You get it kiddo? Huh, maybe I am glad I got you… Anyways, See, there are a few nations who can do what you would call magic, or their priests. And as it would seem, England's black magic reached you. You're going to save him, America, and Canada from demise. Russia's black magic will have assigned others to save him, China, and France. And the two priests, North and South Italy, will have sent some kind of prayer and assigned someone South Italy and Spain, and Germany, North Italy, and Japan. Catch my drift?" asked Denmark. "Yeah…I'm pretty sure I follow…" Denmark whistled. "Dang kid, your pretty dang smart you know that?" "Like I said, I'm not an idiot." I sneered. Idiot! Did he really think that girls such as my self were complete morons? Well I wont stand for that stereotype!

"Well there you have it. You're helping save the world kiddo." Concluded Denmark. I raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but there are other nations other than the…eleven captured yes? So why are you helping?" The tall man shifted his weight and didn't meet my accusing glare. "Fine, I'm scared I'm next, you happy?" he muttered. I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest again, hearing a small noise as the leather rubbed together. "Very. Now, what do I have to do?" I asked. My mind had started to whir again. I could go home and get some weapons or…something useful. I had quite a few at home in my room and my house wasn't too terribly far. I inhaled the sent of my jacket again and pulled the faux fur collar up around my neck. Oh and I could get more coffee while I was at it! I hit the white rubber toe of my right red sneaker against the tile floor. So my compressed bow with a quiver was under my bed, my shotgun with a few clips was in the gun safe as well as my two pistols, but I don't think I had any way of carrying my carving knives safely; guaranteeing my well being.

"Uh…Yo, kid. Alfie is it? Earth to Alfie! Personification of the Kingdom of Denmark calling!"

His voice snapped me back to the present. Stuck in a closet. With the personification of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Wonderful.

"What!" I hissed, recoiling back. My eyes flashed in anger at the man who had dragged me in this Janitors closet to begin with! "You just zoned out Alfie." he explained, annoyance with me quite clear in his voice. "Well I'm sorry for trying to think of ways to help!" I spat back. I was getting extremely aggravated with this guy! Did he want my help or not, cause he'd better make his mind up fast if he wanted any assistance in the least from me! Wait... "Hey! How do you know my name?" I cried. I felt kind of creeped out that Denmark knew my name when I hadn't even told him. He rolled his sky blue eyes. "I read your dog tags. Duh!" he said it like it was the simplest thing in the world that even a small child would know. "Don't treat me like I can't take care of myself!" I growled. "Now hold the flat of your ax still. I need to even out my hair."

The nation did as he was told, and using my pocketknife, I leveled out my hair into a tightly cut, boys hairstyle. I gave a soft 'humph' and put my small blade back in my pocket. "And now will you talk to me, WITHOUT hostility?" demanded Denmark, his left hand planted firmly on his hip while his right held the ax. "Fine whatever." I sniffed. Maybe if I appeased this insufferable nation, I'd be able to get put of here quicker. A small smile flitted across my face as I pictured myself with, yet another, piping hot brew of black coffee that I desperately craved. "Good." said Denmark bluntly. "Now Alfie, these other...teams I guess you could call them; don't help them. Don't do anything against them. Don't do anything involving the others at all. Got it?" he commanded. I struck a mock salute to him. "Sir, yes sir." I said with sarcasm dripping like venom from those three words. He chose to ignore it. "And I'm going to be your guide. So you're stuck with me." My mouth dropped open in shock. Stuck with THIS impertinent man? Are you kidding me? I was barely keeping myself under control and I'd only been with him for, like, ten minutes! I couldn't help but groan. I was liking the idea of this less and less. He raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the love there kid. But don't worry, I'm more like the helpful sidekick and you're the hero. I think Al would like that analogy..." he trailed off with a slight chuckle. "Of course Arthur wouldn't like it, but anyways that's beside the point. So Alfie, you think you got what we need to do?" he asked. I stared blankly back at him. No I do not! I wanted to shriek at him. I understand NOTHING of what I'm supposed to do. "But...how do we free them?" I questioned. Well, I guess that's a gentler way to put it...

Denmark sighed. "I don't know. I really really don't. However, I think we'll know when we see it. So, any questions?"

I thought for a bit. Suddenly something popped into my mind and I gave him a small smirk. "So, personifications represent all the country? Political and social state and stuff like that yeah?" He nodded. My smirk widened. "So what's up with the 'Special Relationship' between America and England" He turned bright red.

Mission accomplished.

"Th-that's not relevant!" spluttered Denmark and I couldn't help but bust out laughing. "I-I'm serious Alfie-" he stopped short when a command was called out in a language that I assumed was Japanese or Chinese. The nation in front of me got very, VERY, pale. He gave me a weak smile. "How good are you at dodging bullets Alfie?" he squeaked. My eyes widened in fear, and before I could protest or tell the country he was mentally insane, the large blonde grabbed my hand and threw open the door. Instantly guns started firing as he sprinted across the hall, dragging me with him. I couldn't help it! I screamed. I screamed louder than I ever had in my entire life. Denmark threw himself against the window and shattered the glass. Without missing a beat, he kept from the 7th floor if the building. Pulling me out with him.

As we plummeted toward the cement, I only had one thought as I screamed bloody murder.

Of all the people I had to die with, I had to die with the bloody immortal, ANNOYING AS HECK, personification?

Screw what little life I have left.


	4. Chapter 3

Uwah!

I'm so sorry guys!

I thought I posted this like 2 weeks ago _

But and I have the next chapter done, but my editor, DenmarkAndHisAxe, is revising it right now and helping it get done soon.

I promise you, school's almost out for me so chapters should be coming more quickly, except when Marching Band starts. Then we'll just have to see.

Anyways, I don't claim to own Hetalia but I do own Alfie, Dani, Bo, Karl, Caleb, Luke, Erin, and Aiden.

Thank you for bearing with me and my forgetfulness.

~Firestar47

I sat with my best friend on my right. She had light brown hair that faded to white on the ends with darker brown streaks in it to match her brown eyes. Her name is Danielle. More commonly known as Dani. We're neighbors and Dani's kind of like a little sister to me, but my best friend despite our four-year age difference. Dani's constantly getting into trouble because she likes things her way and she hates to sit still. I seriously think she'd die before sitting still with nothing to do. But she's a very fun and energetic girl. Ladies and gentlemen, my best friend Danielle.

Oh. Pardon me. Where are my manners?

My names Bo. I'm seventeen years old and I have shaggy golden hair. I suppose you could say I'm athletic and I have a silver cross necklace around my neck 24/7. I'm just about the opposite from Dani. I like to take life at a slow pace and I've been told I'm laid back and easygoing. Personally, I'm rather pleased they think that. I'm a pretty well behaved kid, good grades, respectful, responsible, all that stuff. But honestly, I'm scared for college. I don't want to leave Dani. Who else is going to protect that girl when I'm gone?

But I digress.

This whole day was Dani's idea. I swear, whoever introduced her to coffee is probably regretting it. She's all ready hyped up as it is. Caffeine is the LAST thing she needs. Anyways, it was pretty rainy all day and Dani was bored. When she gets bored, bad things happen. And no, I refuse to go into details. It's too painful to think about. But Dani was bored, and since I have my driver's license, we drove here. Simply to hang out and have some fun. Naturally, coffee was involved.

"Boooooo. Bo are you going to finish your coffee?" asked Dani hopefully. "Oh yes I am kiddo. And even if I wasn't, you do not need two coffee's." I laughed slightly. "Dani, you're already shaking from the caffeine!" I pointed out to her as she gave me her best pity face. "That's why you're fuzzy!" exclaimed my friend. I smiled and slung my arm around her shoulder while she snuggled closer. "I love days like these Bo. I love being able to be friends with you." she sighed in content. "Yeah me too Dani." I murmured. We stayed like that for a bit, just enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly Dani yelped and jumped backward. "Ow!" she cried. "What'd you do Bo? That hurt!" Dani stared accusingly at me. "Huh? Dani, I didn't do anything!" I said. Her angered eyes took on an expression of confusion. She twisted her left arm and gasped softly. "Oh...so that's what it was...Sorry Bo." she apologized. I grabbed her arm and looked at it to see what she was talking about. "Bo, what are they?" she asked. Not concerned in the slightest, just wanting to know what they meant. I stared at her arm. I was majoring in history so of course I knew what they were. "Well...those are three old World War One Air Corps insignias." I explained. What the heck? How did these get on Dani's arm? How didn't I notice? Does it mean anything? Dani just gave me a blank stare. I love the kid dearly, but she could be so dense at times...

"Dani, these are the symbols that countries would put on their airplanes in World War One. Each one stands for a different country." I pointed to the first symbol that was the highest up where her arm socket was. "See, this one is what Russia would use and the one below it is China's and that last one is France's" Dani beamed at me. "Cool! I want them to stay forever!" she giggled. She stopped laughing after a few seconds and pointed seriously to my left arm. I glanced down at it and couldn't help but have my jaw drop open and do a double take.

I had the exact same insignias in the exact same place as Dani. "Whoa..." I breathed. "This is sooo weird..." Then, out of nowhere, a tingling sensation came to my upper right arm. I turned to look at it and saw a Swedish flag where the feeling was. I glanced at Dani and saw she had one too.

"Great." said a gruff voice behind us. I grabbed Dani protectively as a large man with blonde hair, a long navy blue over coat, wire rimmed glasses, and a piercing blue gaze walked around to stand in front of us. "M'Sweden." he introduced himself. "Lets get started."

"Erin!" I groaned. "Stop that! Its creepy!" The silverette stared at me with her ice blue eyes from where she was clinging onto my arm. "But brother..." she whispered as her already tight grip on my left arm increased. "I don't want to be apart from you..." Behind me Aiden gave a soft whimper. "Aiden! Knock that off!" I hissed. "It makes you seem weak." My younger brother nodded his head quickly and pushed up his glasses. I moaned again.

What a wonderful family I have right? God I wish they were normal...

I'm Luke. I'm sixteen and I must say, I'm rather intellectually advanced. For all you stupid people, I'm quite smart. I have bleach blonde hair and hazel eyes. Striking yes? I think so too. As I said, I'm quite smart, however people don't like how I imply my talents. They say I'm...evil. Whatever they want to say though I guess. I use my strengths to my ability. Some people just don't like the out come.

Their loss.

"Aiden! Keep up!" I snapped. My hazel eyes flashed in anger. My stupid brother! He was smart like me, but he always had his nose in a book. Let's see, today's book was...

Quantum Physics.

Really?

Have I mentioned how I hate my family?

Aiden nodded so hard I thought his neck would snap. Please God, let it snap. My brother pushed his glasses up on his face and Erin, once again, began to cling on my arm. "Get off you crazy girl!" I spat and shook free of her grasp. Her ice blue eyes continued to stare into mine. After a few seconds of our staring, mine in hatred and annoyance, her's in affection, she looked away dejectly and flipped her silver hair. "Fine." she murmured softly. There was a quick flash on my leather jacket. I instantly looked.

Oh no! Please not on my jacket!

On the left side of the zipper were three emblems in a horizontal line. I instantly recognized the Air insignias of Italy, Germany, and Japan. The one closest to my zipper was Japan, Italy's was in the middle, and Germany's was on the end furthest from the zipper. On the right side was an Estonian flag.

Well these look ok on my jacket...

Only problem is I hate history.

I spared a quick look at my siblings and saw they had the three emblems plus the flag in the exact same pattern as I did. Only I was the only one who could pull of the look. Suddenly a small man who looked like the adult version of Aiden was in front of us.

Aiden and Erin jumped and hid behind me. I scowled and stuffed my hands in the pockets of my black jeans and scuffed my loafers on the tile flooring. "What do you want." I sneered.

"My name's Estonia. And kid, I live with Russia. You don't scare me."

"Dude! You don't use strangers as human shields! They don't tend to like people bursting their bubble! People like space!" I explained, thoroughly annoyed at my twin brother Caleb. I had been chasing Caleb around the store, and in my brother's desperation to stay away from me; he used a girl as his human shield. Idiot! That girl looked like she wanted to slit his throat! But I suppose it would have been more convincing if her black and white glasses weren't crooked and my stupid brother hadn't pulled her jacket off one shoulder. "But Karl! People never minded when we were little! Why should they care now?" whined Caleb. "Because we're older and more mature now! We're not babies anymore!" I hissed angrily.

So yeah I'm Karl, and Caleb and I are twin brothers. I suppose that having a sibling the same age as you is nice some times, but then again its not. We're identical. Both of us have black hair and sea green eyes but Caleb is much more dense then I am. We're twelve years old and I'm older by two minutes! That's why Caleb looks to me for answers to his problems. Even though its only 120 seconds, I know more.

Obviously!

Caleb likes art, music, and stuff like that. I'm much more into action figures and shows like Pokemon and Bakugan. So, he's the quieter of us and I'm the cooler.

"Karl, why do adults let you get away with less the older you get?" "Because your not as cute anymore." "Oh..."

Whoops. I think I just crushed his feelings...

"Don't worry Caleb! We'll always have each other!" I smiled at him and he smiled back. "Yeah, you're right. You always are. Thanks Karl." he said as my twin grabbed my hand and raced down some random isle that looked like it had big machinery.

"Hey Karl, what's that on your shirt?" he asked suddenly after glancing over his shoulder. "Huh?" I froze and looked down at my shirt. Oh no! Mom was going to kill me! On the hem of my shirt were two circles with a smaller circle inside it and one inside that. They looked like archery targets! A flag was next to them. "What are they?" asked Caleb, noticing they were on the hem of his shirt too.

"Allow me kids." a man with shoulder length brown hair and green eyes walked over to us and knelt down on a knee to be at our height. He gave a small whistle and raised an eyebrow. "Well, those are the Italian and Spanish Air Corps signs. They were used to distinguish what plane was from what country in World War One. And that's my flag. I'm Lithuania. We're going to get to know each other very well."


	5. Chapter 4

I giggled and flipped my white tipped hair. "Per-son-if-i-caaaaaa-tion. Bo, Bo, Bo, that's my new favorite word!" My older friend rolled his dark brown eyes, glittering in annoyance. "Of course it is Dani." he sighed. "Now please, Mr. Sweden is trying to tell us something very important. You need to listen." With that, Bo turned back to face the large blonde man who was the personification of Sweden.

He had just finished explaining what he was and what the bigger, more powerful nations were up against. Uh...I kind of zoned out for that... I have attention issues ok!

"Jus' Sweden." he grunted. "Yessir." said Bo, his copper eyes alert, attentive, and respectful. "Th' insignias. 'hats yer team. Gotta save 'em." Oh God. His Swedish accent was really heavy...

Maybe some coffee would help...

Oh but that would make Bo mad... Hopefully later.

"So, our team is Russia, China, and France?" confirmed Bo. I tried to stand still at his side and pay attention, but I've never been particularly good at that. Sweden's eyes darkened when Bo said Russia and the ice blue orbs glanced fearfully from side to side when France was mentioned. "Unf'rt'un'atly..." sighed the nation, running his large hands through his blond hair. "So what do we need to do to free them?" questioned Bo. Sweden's stoic face looked away. "D'nno..." he answered shamefully.

Oh no... I can't stand it when people are sad...

I instantly wrapped my arms around the personification, trying to cheer him up. His eyes widened and he blushed. "Don't be mad at yourself Su-san." I whispered into his long dark blue over coat. He went rigid. "W-Wh't did ya jus' call me?" he stuttered. "Su-san. I-If you don't like it I can change it... O-or stop calling you that..." "No." he said firmly while ruffling my light brown hair slightly. "L'ke it." I could have sworn his lips twisted up ever so slightly in a smile.

Suddenly we all heard gunfire. It was a few floors up, yet Sweden paled horribly. "Bo!" I cried in fear as tears began to form in my eyes. "Bo I'm so scared!" My best friend moved closer to me, snapping his knuckles and neck. "Don't worry Dani. I'm right here." he soothed. "F-Fin..." murmured Sweden. I must admit, I was a bit confused, but that wasn't my priority at the moment. A blood-curdling scream of terror reached our ears and Sweden's eyes shone with fear, horror, and defiance. He grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him, Bo on my other side. "M' also yer pr'tect'r." he stated. And then he turned on his heels, and with his arm around me, quickly led us away.

I really liked Estonia! I did! He was smart like me, but not scary like my brother Luke, and he was nice.

That didn't mean the personification of nations wasn't hard to grasp.

"So, you're the representation if the country Estonia? Like...in a whole, or mixing what most of the people in your country into one?" "Well Aiden," sighed the nation while leaning up against the beige wall, "I don't just represent the land mass, but the economy, government system, natural disasters, and stuff like that, that unfortunately nations have to deal with for eternity." What? "Uh, I'm not too sure I follow..." I stuttered. "Hm, I suppose a good example is America. So you know what 9/11 is yes?" I nodded vigorously.

What American citizen doesn't know about 9/11?

He crossed his arms on his chest. One look on his face said it all; he didn't like this topic. "Ah good. Long story short, we were all in a world meeting when all the nations get together and try to solve worldly problems, America collapsed. Because of this...event, he has two identical scars going across his left shoulder down his chest, one on his heart from the Pentagon, and one on his side from the plane that crashed. If you need another example, he also has a dreadful scar around his waist from the Civil War. I would rather not go into details for either of them. Do you understand now?" asked Estonia gently, his blue eyes shining with sadness behind his wire-framed glasses. "Y-Yeah..." I mumbled.

Dear lord being a nation must suck sometimes...

Estonia just smiled at me before pushing up his silver glasses. "Good." he murmured quietly. "If you two are done, I'd like to know what the whole personification stuff has to do with us." growled Luke, finally heaving himself up from the bench he was sitting on to stand threatingly and glare at Estonia. The country just sighed as Erin hovered around Luke. "You three have to save Italy, Germany, and Japan from their demise. Quickly too." explained the adult version of me calmly.

Why couldn't I do that?

"Whatever." snarled my brother. Estonia stared into his fiery hazel eyes and spoke evenly. "I'm your protector and guide, but I cannot guarantee your safety. I must command you to not help, slow down any other groups, or interact with them in any way should we cross paths. It will be hard enough for me as it is watching you three." Luke opened his mouth to respond, probably something snappy and standoffish, when sudden gunfire cut him off. Estonia sucked in a large breath as a horrific scream knifed through the air. "Come. NOW."

With that he grabbed Luke's arm, and sprinted away down the hall, knowing Erin and I would follow.

Lithuania ruffled my black hair affectionately, a warm smile on his face. "There you go!" he laughed. I couldn't help but giggle. He was so nice. I could tell I would love Lithuania. The nation stood back up and smiled at me and my twin brother, Karl, who was standing next to me with his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.

"My word you two catch on quickly! Personifications aren't very easy to wrap your heads around." I beamed. No one ever said that I was smart! Karl was born first so he's always been the smart one! "So Spain and Romano. I've never heard of the country Romano before..." said my brother thoughtfully. "But his flag looks like Italy's. Is there some connection between the two?"

See what I mean?

"Ah, well that is because Romano is the lower half of Italy. There are two of them because both halves have different governments." "Oh!" I exclaimed. "So... can nations die?"

Lithuania's eyes darkened, quite obviously a subject he wanted to steer clear from. "If we are...'killed'...we really only experience death for a few moments. As long as the country we represent doesn't cease to exist, we stay alive. No matter how long. But...if a country DOES become destroyed...well...the personification will fade with it." He paused. "Its not something I wish to see again." Lithuania added with an after thought. He spoke so softly it was barely a whisper. I-I'm sorry I asked..." I murmured. His sad, dark expression was replaced with his normal happy one again. "Its fine. Just a way of life." Karl glared at me in anger for upsetting the nation. I hung my head in shame and a pair of arms wrapped around me. I looked up into Lithuania's caring eyes. "No no no, dear its ok." he purred.

I was suddenly aware of angered shouts in a foreign language on the floor above us. "What did that mean Lithuania?" I asked, thoroughly confused and not understanding their words. Lithuania paled. "Karl, Caleb, boys we must-"

The sudden opening and slamming of a door cut him off. As soon as it had made the first noise, rapid gunfire blared through the halls above us accompanied with a scream and the smashing of glass. Fear shot through me like an electrical charge, Karl and I shrunk closer to the nation and each other. Lithuania grabbed us and pulled us through the hall. I whimpered in fear and clutched at his hand as if it was the only thing keeping me alive. As we passed the window, it was only a few steps away from where we were; a dark shape plummeted past, headed straight for the cement. Our nation stifled a shriek and tugged us faster away. "Come! We need to get to safety! And do not make a single sound." hissed Lithuania, his eyes shining with fear.

"You won't die as long as I can protect you."

"Luke!" I wailed. "Luke we're going to die!" "Shut up Erin!" he spat at me. "Erin, dear, silence is essential to our escape alive. Please refrain from talking." said Estonia as he raced through the twisting and turning halls of the store, I think he was trying to find something but not sure of the location.

I sped up a bit to sprint by Luke's side, staying totally silent. God I don't want to die! I still had so much to do...


	6. Chapter 5

_**Merg!**_

_**Oh my god guys I keep forgetting to upload here! I'm terribly sorry about that! Unfortunatly, life's getting pretty crazy with my soccer team going to state, marching band for High School starting up, etc etc. Believe me guys. Those are almost everyday of the week leaving me almost no free time to think let alone write! So I apologize, but chapters for this story will be coming slower :( sorry!**_

_**One more thing**_

_**I do not claim to own Hetalia but I do own Alfie, Dani, Bo, Karl, Caleb, Aiden, Erin, Luke, and the plot.**_

_**~Firestar47**_

...

Something icy cold hit my face, sending chills shooting through my body, laced with alarm. I spluttered and groggily blinked open my eyes. They immediately flew wide open with what they saw.

That damn personification had his face inches from mine, his blue eyes staring worridly into my own saphire orbs.

I've mentioned I hate close proximities right? Well what this nation was doing had crossed that boundry long ago.

"W-What are you doing?" I yelped and Denmark jumped back instantly. "Nothing!" he laughed. "Thank God you woke up! I was afraid I was going to have to preform CPR on you Alfie!" I shakily stood up, choosing to ignore his last comment, instead brushing off my leather jacket and straightening the collar while trying to slow my pounding heart.

I can't stand people being too close... That reminds me...

"Hey, what did you throw on me? And I hope for your sake it wasn't water." I added with a low growl. "Why? Are you allergic or something?" questioned Denmark with his head tilted to the side in confusion. "What do you mean WHY? Water wrecks leather you idiot!" I hissed angerly.

God! Moron!

"Oh my jacket..." I moaned softly. The nation averted his gaze and backed up. I leaned back against the tree behind me and sunk down to the ground, landing on a knarled root poking up from the earth. "I'm so sorry Alfie!" apologized Denmark rapidly, words continued to pool from his mouth.

'Just deal with it Alfie. Grit and bear it...'

I waved my hand in dismissal. "Just...please. Be quiet and don't do it again..." I sighed. He nodded quickly and stood silently next to me. I haden't the slightest idea where we were.

But it was rather beautiful.

From where I was sitting on the tree root, I was over looking a large, crystal clear, saphire blue lake. The sun's warm rays hit the water at such an angle and made it shimmer wonderfully.

If only home was like this.

A bird twittered its song from a limb above me. Only when the bird sang did I notice something seemed...off about this place.

Guess someone has to break their vow of silence...

"Where are we?" I asked in a monotone voice, my eyes not even wavering a little toward Denmark. No, they stayed focused on the lake's beauty. "Well, we're in Cardverse...and hopefully I got it right so we're in the Land of the Jokers. If we're in any other kingdom's though..." The tiniest of whimpers escaped his mouth, so small that I thought I might have imagined it. I guess I'll never know if I did or not.

"What do you mean."

I could feel his uneasiness rolling off him in sheets. "You'll find out... But it would be best if you call me Matthias while we're here..." I shrugged and pulled my jacket tighter around me. "Whatever. Matthias." "I-I suppose I'd better go see where we are." With that, I heard the rustling of the nation's black overcoat as he spun around. "Wait here Alfie." he commanded and then I hears fluttering of fabric as he walked away. "Meh. Well Matthias is a stupid name..." I muttered, still watching the lake. I must admit, I was glad when the insufferable nation had left me. I exhailed heavily and smiled softly as a few blue fish jumped from the water with pale blue or silvery wings on their backs. The wings fluttered in the air and I allowed a small laugh as they rocketed through the sky for a few seconds before plunging back into the blue water. "Flying fish..." I murmured. "I don't know what he's so worried about. Cardverse seems like a nice place..." I grinned and leaned back against the tree's rough bark, unaware that when I was watching the fish I had shifted forward.

I stayed like that for a while, and kept smiling as I saw more and more wildlife. Strangly enough, a buck with small pale blue antlers gave me a little bow. What? Why would it do that? As I studdied it, I noticed a small mark in the shape of a spade on its right flank. Well that's unusual I thought, but I paid it no mind.

"Stupid Denmark. He worries too much." I scowled. The young buck pranced over to me and lay down, its large, beautiful, head in my lap. I jumped slightly and very very tentivly placed my hand on its forehead, right between the eyes. It breathed out heavily and looked at me obidently with its big brown orbs.

Ok... This is weird...

I rubbed his soft light brown fur in wonder. I had never been this close to a live deer before. Only dead ones from when I'd shot them while hunting. But this was new for me. And this buck had willingly come up to me. His eyes looked delicate and showed just how fragile this creature was. They sparkled in happiness at me. I moved one of my hands up to feel his antlers before putting it under his chin and scratching it gently. He pressed closer to me and I laughed.

Too bad I couldnt keep him as a pet...

But I suppose that would be wrong wouldn't it...

The two of us sat for a while, enjoying each others company an listening to the singing of the birds. The bright sun wrapped us in a blanket of warmth as it shined down upon us.

Then my friends's nostrils flaired in alarm and the young buck's face and eyes switched from a trustful, loyal, suborinate expression, to one full of fear. He gave a soft bellow, and gazed at me sympathedicly, before leaping to his feet, bowing low to me, and dashing off.

Matthias barreled through the trees.

I groaned.

Of course that idiot of a personification scared away the deer. Why couldn't I have guessed.

He screeched to a halt in front of me, panting heavily. "We have to go. Now." he rasped, out of breath as he tugged on my arm. I turned my burning blue eyes to him and glared at the nation over the rim of my black and white glasses. "And why would I do that? I'm quite comfortable right where I am." I sniffed. His eyes narrowed. "Royal hunting party." he gasped. "Cant be caught. 'specially not you Alfie." With that, he yanked me to my feet, tossed me over his shoulder, and began sprinting again. I let loose a string of curse words at him, all of which he ignored and continued to run with me in tow. Soon I heard hooves pounding in the distance accompanied by the baying of hounds, and getting closer. Denmark began to run faster if that was even possible. I wiggled myself free from his grasp and dashed along next to him. Then voices reached my ears.

And they just kept coming closer.

I barreled through the brush, shoulder first, and tried to avoid any and all branches whipping my face. Honestly I didn't care they were ripping into my flesh and drawing blood. I just didn't want to be found.

I hissed as something pricked my left ankle I chanced a glance back and saw a pure white hound with a black splotch on its right flank and a purple ribbon around its neck. The ribbon matched the canines eyes.

Strange.

It yapped loudly at me and suddenly it was joined by about five others. All identical to the first, yet I kept running. All the dogs were crying out in pure extacy as they caught up with their prey, me. Denmark snapped around and his eyes flashed dangerously. Three of the animals approched him snarling. He growled back at them. Upon closer inspection I saw that the black splotch was a spade. First the deer and now the dogs? Something wasn't right...

"Your Highness! It seems the dogs have found something!" called a voice, clearly male. "Good." answered another. The voice was short, sharp, and commanding.

And most definatly female.

Oh no... Was it a princess? I hope she wasn't a stuck up one...

"Lancelot, drive it into the open. I want to practice my aim." "Yes my lady." I heard the swishing of a blade being drawn and the brush began to rustle. A few commands were barked out. Dear lord they were close.

A hand shot out and grabbed one of the hounds by the ribbon around it's neck and yanked it back. "Heel!" bellowed the same male voice I had been hearing. The animals gave me one last mournful look and slunk away. They were instantly replaced with men. About ten circled Denmark and me, spears and swords drawn. All of them were clothed in blue's and purples with a dark blue spade right over the heart. The one who seemed to be the oldest took a step toward us, his eyes cold and untrusting. "You're most cirtently not like any hunting creature I've ever seen... What are you doing here in the Kingdom of Spades, pesant?" he spat. His ice blue eyes glittered with malice, and a slight wind rustled his graying hair.

"Lancelot who's there?" called the female I assumed was the princess. "I do not know my lady." There was a huff and a girl about my age pushed through the brush. Her bright green eyes sparkled when she saw me.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "I've been worried sick you git! Don't you ever do that again! God knows how I-" "My lady that's not the King." the man she called Lancelot said coldly, his sword never lowering. Oh fun. So I'm being confused with a boy here too? Great... She took a step back and turned her head, flipping her light brown, shoulder length hair. "Ha. I knew that." she huffed, trying to hide her blush. "Please my lady," cried Denmark, falling to one knee and bowing his head, yanking me with him. I hissed softly as he pulled me down, but if this was how to win over these people, I was willing to try.

Her green gaze darkened and she crossed her arms, a slight wind making the hem of her long purple overcoat flutter. The two parallel lines of large brass buttons sparkled in the sun. "Please what." she growled. "Please. We're on a quest and we thought the brave, powerful, and nobel kingdom of Spades would be able to assist us." explained Denmark.

Wait, that was a total lie. We were suppose to arrive in the Land of the Jokers! Not this...Spades place! And why was he laying on the flattery so thick?

The girl's eyes lost a bit of their fierceness.

Wow.

Note to self, flattery can get you everywhere.

"Your Majasty, I must advise against this..." said the guard, sword STILL at my throat. "Oh Lancelot just calm down. If they were after me or the king they would have made their move by now, yes? Come. You will tell me about this quest and discuss my price for Spades assistance." She turned and climbed on the back of a white mare with purple reigns and its mane in purple ribbons. Lancelot eyes us warily but sheathed his blade and got on the back of a dark brown horse.

"If they ask, our last name is Kohler. You are my little sister." hissed Denmark softly. I gave a small nod of my head to indicate I heard him.

And off we went with the hunting party through the Kingdom of Spades's fore


	7. Chapter 6

I am so sorry for not posting this sooner! Honestly I am terribly sorry. I was going to wait until my editor got back from vacation, ha, yeah she's not back for a few weeks yet...

Anyways,

This chapter is short and I apologize. Next one will be longer. I need that part all together.

Finished our entire show for marching and did a parade with my band today! Was totally killer. Except our rivals got 1st and we got 2nd... Ick. But had fun anyways :) Got to chill at the State Fair with my friends for a few hours. Plus we did a flash mob at a french fry place. Go EP Band Geeks! YAY EAGLES! XD totally owned our rivals at zumba. Fuck yeah.

But that aside.

Enjoy!

...

I huffed and scuffed my red sneaker on the ground, colliding with a pale blue stone and sending it rolling away in a hurry. I shoved my hand deeper into my leather jackets pockets and tried to keep my expressionless face.

But ya know, that's always easy with a swordsman watching your every move from about three feet away from you.

Do not scowl Alfie. Whatever you do, don't scowl!

The older man's eyes darkened. "Stop twitching peasant." he spat. "Leave her alone. She's done nothing to you." growled Denmark, his own eyes growing darker by the second. "Lancelot. Do behave yourself. They have requested Spades help so please be civil. They aren't coming for any of us." called the teen from the white mare. Her emerald eyes locked on my sapphire blue ones.

"They wouldn't dare attack Spades queen with so many guards around."

Lancelot huffed. "You're right my lady. I apologize for my behavior." He bowed stiffly, but kept one eye trained on me all the same. So what I drew from that is this princess would be taking us to the Queen. Hm. Well that's incredibly helpful. Her long brunette hair fluttered slightly as her horse trotted along. A huge white castle trimmed in blue and purple loomed out from the tree line. I couldn't help that my eyes widened in awe at the sheer size of the thing! I was totally unaware of people gaping and pointing at me.

"What has our king done?!" wailed one of the women dressed in tattered rages, stained and muddied. That snapped me back to reality. My eyes flickered to the elderly woman, hunched over and her gray eyes staring wide. I gave her a small smile and a nod of my head. She just cried out again. "What has the kingdom of Spades come to?!" "Peace dear one." soothed the girl on the horse. She guided her mare over and jumped off its back and her long purple overcoat flowed around her. The woman gasped and fell to her knees. "Forgive me! I-I meant no disrespect to you your Highness!" she murmured. The girl smiled and offered the woman her hand. "I did not take it as such. Please stand." The woman dressed in shades of brown and tan took her hand tentivly and stood. "This is not our missing king." sighed the girl sadly. "These are two travelers who are in need of Spades assistance." The old woman nodded her head. "I see. Well, Spades has a wonderful queen to accept them." she bowed her head and limped back to stand with her peers as the girl thanked her and got back on the horse. I tried to ignore it, but I saw a distinct shape on the girl's hand.

A black Spade.

I blinked a few times and the procession started marching once more. As we got nearer to the gates, I noticed the houses got more and more elaborate. Well protect the rich I guess right? There were two guards standing stiffly at attention at the gate. As we approached, they both brought up their arms in a salute. The girl on the white mare gave them a nod as we passed them by. As we went under the iron gate, Denmark drew closer to me, basically wrapping his long black coat over me. But I was too much in awe to care.

What would be a beautiful, open, and lush courtyard was filled with men clashing swords. They all had on black pants and a white shirt with a blue, purple, or indigo spade on it. Well at least I understood where the spades thing came from. "Attention!" cried a loud male voice over the smashing of metal on metal. Instantly, all the men formed perfect ranks, turned towards the gate, and bowed. The girl slid off her horse and handed the person next to her the reigns. "Lancelot, get your number one man and then join us in the throne room." Then she turned to me, a smile on her face. "Come with me."

She whirled around and went through a wooden door. As soon as she opened it, my jaw hit the floor. An elaborately decorated hallway with a vaulted ceiling and a velvet blue rug ran in-between marble pillars. The girl led Denmark and me down one twisted hallway after another. Dang, how did she know where everything was?! I got lost after the first turn! We rounded another corner and almost smashed into another girl. "Oh hello your highness!" she smiled. Her ethnicity was obviously Indian, but she seemed bubbly and energetic. However I don't know how she was balancing all those documents...

The teen in the long purple overcoat smiled brightly at her. "Hullo Zenab! When you're done moving those, join us in the throne room will you?" "Of course! I'll see you in a bit!" With that the short girl dashed off, her indigo barrette flopping slightly with each step. "Almost there." reassured the teen and she led us down a few more hallways before we came out into an extremely spacious and fancy room. There were two thrones, the one on the left with blue padding and the other with purple lining. Both were trimmed in gold, silver, and gems in the blue and purple color families. "So that's where the King and Queen sit normally." she sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, our King's been missing for a few days..." She strode up and sat down in the purple throne. "So, what's this quest of yours?" "Well we need to help a few friends of ours... You see their missing like your king and we..." Denmark rambled to her about our quest. But wait, didn't she say that only the King and Queen sat there?! S-So did that mean...

"Wait you're the Queen?!" I burst out. Her green gaze looked my azure one straight on. "Yes. I am Queen Brianna of the Kingdom of Spades. You should know this." I could feel Denmark's eyes staring hard at me in panic. "S-Sorry your majesty..." I squeaked.

I had just royally screwed up.

See what I did there?


	8. Chapter 7

_Ahhhh! I'm so so sorry this took so long for me to post! High School's busy and Marching Band keeps me on my toes (literally!), but Marching season's almost over and I'll probably get more work done. Only 3 more weeks… :c_

_But I'll write more and faster I promise!_

oooooooooooooooooo

The queen just sighed. "Alfie, I told you when we were coming here to let me do the talking." rebuked Denmark sternly. "But I-" He cut me off with a look that said If-You-Don't-Shut-Up-Now-I'll-Drive-My-Axe-Through-Your-Head. "Yes Matthias..." I grumbled while suddenly finding my red shoes fascinating. Brianna flipped her hair and the Indian girl from before burst through the doors and dashed up to stand next to the queen. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner!" she puffed while fixing the indigo barrette on her black hair. "Ran into Lancelot and Michael on my way here. Some fight or another." she sighed. "But they should be here in five, four, three, two..." she pointed to the door as she said the last number and a teenage boy barreled in, Lancelot puffing behind him.

I assumed the teenager with bright orange hair was Michael. "S-Sorry Brianna." he panted with a grin on his face. Lancelot smacked him upside the head. "That is QUEEN Brianna." he hissed. The grin fell off of his face as he rolled his eyes. Both him and Lancelot were wearing the same long tan pants and white dress shirts as the men from outside before. Their black cloaks with blue and purple trim was the only thing that set them apart. As the two walked past, I noticed both had swords on their belts. The ginger haired teen winked at me as he passed.

God-awful flirt.

Zenab was sitting on the armrest of the Queens throne and Lancelot stood at attention on her left. Leaving the boy to stand awkwardly next to Zenab. The queen gave Lancelot a look and cleared her throat. "Um, Michael? Why don't you give Alfie a tour of the palace." "But-!" "Now Michael." ordered Lancelot with a steely glint in his eye. "Yes sir." sighed the teen. He turned and motioned to me. "C'mon Alfie. Rise and come with me." Brianna rolled her eyes. "Proper grammar please." she sighed. "Yes your highness." he said. Then he winked at me. "I assume you're Alfie. Let me give you a tour of this place." With that he offered me his hand that I took, blushing a bit, and stood, following him out.

As soon as the big marble doors swung shut behind us, his snappy posture went slack and a grin once again lit up his face. "So, what kingdom are you from? Your wearing red, so that could be Hearts, but your jacket has gold on it for Diamonds… and a bit of Clubs green I see. Then again, you also have a lot of white and black like a Joker. So what's up with your colors?" he asked.

Oh crap.

"Um..." I gulped heavily. "I-I'm from...ah... Y-You wouldn't know..." Jesus, you think I could end better then that lame excuse. God I'm a moron.

He just laughed.

And is he ever cute.

"Don't worry. I can tell you're not from here. Well, I'm Michael. I'm one of Spades army's two generals. Lancelot is the other. He's basically my mentor, but he's getting older and when he steps down, I'll be the full time general. However, you screw with me, don't listen to my orders, I'll snap your neck." His green eyes sparkled with mischief. 'Hm. I've never seen an orange ring in eyes before... Interesting.' I just nodded, not to sure if he was just playing with me on that last comment.

But going out on a limb here, he was dead serious.

"So, why are you in Spades, Alfie?" he asked while leading me through another long corridor. Making me even more impossibly lost then I already was. "Well, um, I have to save my, uh, brothers friends. They went missing and-" "What do they look like? I can get my best men on it right away. A-After I find the King again that is…" He said sheepishly. I giggled. "I don't know what they look like." I confessed, a slight blush creeping on my face. "Hm. Well that makes looking for someone awfully complex don't you think?" he teased. I smiled yet again. This guy reminded me of someone. Don't know whom, but I liked him. Michael I mean. I felt relaxed around him. And I didn't want to hurt him at all. That's a pleasant first…

"Here. I don't think we need to go much further." My guide's smile lit up again as he pushed open a large oak door. A sprawling garden came into view. I saw a small path twisting through the grounds, but I quickly lost sight of it behind some royal blue flower. Wow. I took a few steps forward to smell a strange cone shaped flower with tiny tiny buds. Blue on the wide ends and fading to a light purple on the tip. I inhaled the delicate flowers aroma and it smelt like the sky after it rains. Damp, crisp, but clean and beautiful. They looked a bit like the Lilacs that I grew back at home. "Pretty aren't they. Called Time Keepers. Don't know why. But they're the Kings favorite flower. Brianna likes Dragon's Blood." Michael smiled with a hint of sadness. "What's wrong?" I asked, walking back over to the ginger leaning against the wall of the castle. "Oh just nostalgia. I grew up with the King, Queen, and Jack. We're still close, but things were so much simpler then. Back before we weren't all trying to avoid being assassinated." he laughed. "Enough dark stuff. Come on Alfie." With that he took my hand and led me down the path. Pointing out several species of flowers along the way that he liked. I like that. A guy that appreciates nature. Very nice… He stopped in front of a bush with golden flowers. They had the shape of a normal Lily, and the petals looked as if they had been splattered with royal purple paint. "See these Alfie?" he said as I bent over to smell a blossom, greeted by something that smelt a bit of brimstone. "These are Dragon's Blood. Don't touch the leaves. They are razor sharp and will easily cut your finger off."

Oh come on. When you say stuff like that, you know I have to try it! I reached out to touch a leaf.

"God damn you! Don't you listen?!" One of his gloved hands shot out grabbed mine. "Do. Not. Touch. The. Leaves!" he hissed, eyes smoldering. "Y-Yes sir." I squeaked. I wasn't scared! Just… uh… shocked is all! Michael shook his head and let my hand go. "You are so like the King you know that? She could never take orders either." "Wait…She?!" I asked in complete bewilderment. King's had to be guys, right?! "Yes. Our King is female." I continued to stare at the General, dumbstruck. "Please tell me you know what a female is. I don't feel like teaching an anatomy lesson." He made a face. My face however turned red. "Um… Th-That's quite all right… I just thought the King had to be a guy…" "No no no. You see it's purely positional. The Queen before Brianna was a male named Thomas. The Jack was a female named Ann, and the King was a male named Zach. So you see, it's only a title. Does not apply to the gender." Interrupted Michael.

"Oh. I see. Is there anything else I should know?" He nodded. "Lots actually. Lets go. I know the perfect place to discuss." The ginger haired teen turned on his heels and walked down the twisted path again, his black cloak fluttering and showing off the sword at his side.

God he's hot… U-Uhm… I didn't just say that…

I walked next to him in silence until we came up to a huge tree, which appeared to have black roses on it. Another identical to it was directly across the path from us, a black granite bench under its hanging branches. "Those are Honors Guard." He explained while sitting down on the white marble bench beneath its branches. He stretched up one hand in a black glove and plucked a black rose, motioning me to sit beside him at the same time. "Honors Guard is the flowers of Spades Generals." Said the teen, showing me the flower. Only then did I notice how the tips of the petals had a thin strip of blue. "Oh. Pretty." I murmured. Michael nodded. "This is my tree now. The one directly across from us is Lancelot's. His are tipped in purple. My duty is to the King, where as his is to the Queen. Both of us inherited the positions. To the King and Queen I mean." With that he tucked the Honors Guard into the pocket of his white shirt so the bud was poking out.

"Now. Alfie, what do you know about Cardverse?" He asked. "The King is missing, you and Lancelot are Generals in the army and-" "No not that!" interrupted the teen, frowning slightly. "I mean, about positions, other kingdoms, current disagreements. Know anything about that?" I shook my head no. Of course I knew nothing about this Cardverse place! But he couldn't know that… "Well let's start off simple," Michael took a stick from the ground and drew a crudely sketched rectangle in the dust, dividing it up into 4 quadrants. "This is Cardverse. We are here." He pointed to the far right sector. He wrote a quick 'S' in the box. "Next to us is the kingdom of Diamonds and, unfortunately, our allies." He sighed and put a 'D' in the box next to the Spades box. "Then it's Clubs. They don't do too much, and beware of their King. She's… different…" A 'C' went into the next portion. "And finally, the kingdom of Hearts. We're not exactly buddy-buddy with them either. Actually, no one is right now." He said, still frowning, while scratching an 'H' into the portion on the left end. "So those are the four kingdoms of Cardverse. Got it Alfie?" asked the general, smiling at me. "Yeah. I got it." Geezus. He's smart too. Even better… "Very good!" my guide flashed me a smile. "Now for the Kings, Queens, and Jacks." "I-I have to know all of them?!" I gasped. Michael laughed. "Don't worry Alfie. It's not that hard." "For you! You grew up here!" I crossed my arms and huffed angrily, my bomber jacket moving with me.

Unfortunatly, it probably just looked like a pout…

He just laughed harder. "Yes, I know, but people die too. I've learned many different names. I'm not going to make you memorize any old historical battles or anything. Just current stuff ok?" I nodded.

Thank God. I love history, and a cute guy teaching it to boot, but still, that's an awful lot of information I doubt I'd use again…

"So Alfie. In our Kingdom, our king is a fifteen-year-old girl, Marit. Our queen, Brianna, is about a month older than our king. Our jack is Zenab and she's the youngest by a few months." With his stick he scratched a 'K', 'Q', and 'J' under Spades and wrote the name that corresponded with each position next to it. "Diamonds king was just killed. A male by the name of Francis. Their queen is a female named Jennilyn. Their jack is another girl called Rachel. Now do beware. Rachel is extremely protective of Jennilyn. Rachel is seventeen and Jennilyn is fourteen. In Clubs the king is a girl by the name of Afton. She is the eldest at twenty-two. Their queen is Emma who is thirteen, and the jack, Colleen, is seventeen. Now for Hearts. Heart's king is Ashley. She's small for her age, but she's sixteen. The queen is Catelin at fifteen and the Jack is a female named Petrina at the age of sixteen." As my tutor spoke, he wrote the names into the dirt.

So…Many…Names…

"Ok Alfie lets see what you know." Said the ginger with a sly grin. He whipped of my glasses with lightning speed and covered my eyes. I squeaked in surprise. Too close, too close! "H-Hey! G-Get off of me!" I cried, trying to writher away from him. "Stop struggling. Just tell me the names and I'll let you go. Who are the Kings?" "U-Um…" I stuttered wracking my brain for the answers. Crap. I have the memory of a goldfish… "M-Marit…uh…Afton…and, ah… A-Ashley?" I guessed. "Good. We'll have to work on it, but you got them." With that he let me go and handed my glasses back. Quickly I shifted away from him, putting my glasses back, and eyeing the general warily. "I guess someone doesn't like to be touched. Well good to know. Tell me the queens please, my dear."

Oh my God. Did he really just call me that?!

"Brianna, Jennilyn…er… Emma, and…Catelin." "Very good! Jack's please." "Zenab…Rachel…Uhm…Colleen…Petrina." "Nice Alfie!" he beamed at me.

Just the way his eyes sparkled proudly at me made me blush. "Th-Thanks Michael…" "So. Positions. Kings are typically in charge of public appearances; tactics with the generals, and making sure the people are content. Queens are in charge of the army and navy. They make sure that security is up and running and Jacks take care of paperwork and they advise the King and Queen. When a position is unoccupied the other positions help cover their duties. Our Queen is currently doing all public things and working with the generals for final decisions. And Lancelot and I are working the security for her, while keeping our troops battle ready." I nodded. Geez. That's a lot of pressure and things to worry about for fifteen year olds…

"Wait, you said if a position is unoccupied. So if all the positions are, are titles, how do you find the next in line?" I asked. Oh goodness, my head was starting to hurt from all this… Cardverse was so complex… And I got the feeling my friend was dumbing the whole thing way, WAY, down for me…

"Awesome question! So lets say that our missing king was killed. What would happen is some child in the kingdom of Spades would be born with a black Spade on the back of their hand." Michael took of one of his gloves and showed me the back of his. I gasped when I saw a small, pitch black Spade. "S-So your king?! She's dead?!" He laughed and shook his head. "No, no, no. You see, someone must be born with the Spade. Not have it tattooed on them by their mentor. Our King's still kicking. It would take a bit to keep her down. But like I said, once someone was born with the Spade on their hand, they would be taken to the castle to be cared for and taught the ways of the role they will fulfill. But when all three leaders reach old age, the children are monitored to see which role suits them best. If they have the bravery and kindness of a King, or the fierceness and slyness of the Queen, or the calm and collectiveness that defines a Jack. So you see, not just anyone is picked for the positions. You must be just right."

"Really current events are pretty easy. Hearts is currently attacking Clubs and Diamonds. Spades has been untouched so far, but that wont last for too long. Clubs is being overrun, and Diamonds is starting to suffer heavy attack. We are Diamonds and Club's ally, but we would prefer to stay out of it for as long as possible." He smiled. "Easy enough, right Alfie?" I smiled right back at him.

"What about the Land of the Jokers?" I asked suddenly, remembering what Denmark had said about ending there, not in Spades, Hearts, Clubs, or Diamonds. Michael frowned. "I thought you said you didn't know anything about Cardverse…" I gulped. "I… uh… I've heard rumors…" I stuttered. Oh please don't let me have given us away! Please, please, please! "Oh. I see." Thank you God… "The Land of the Jokers is a mythical place. It's not even proven to be in existence. Sometimes when royalty gets sick. Like a little kid or something, and if someone knows the right spell, their spirit can be preserved as a Joker. Only two so far have. And those are just myths. Like I said. It's not even been proven that the Land of the Jokers is a real place. But once you've been made into a Joker, you are like a ghost. And you can tell prophecies to Kings." Michael's frown deepened. "But I think it's just a tale for kids. Magic exists, Brianna knows magic, I just don't think its possible." I nodded. If Denmark haden't told me for sure it was real, I wouldn't have believed it either. The Land of the Jokers did seem a bit far fetched… But then again, I was in Cardverse talking with this cute General of the army of Spades. I suppose my life could be weirder or worse right now… My new friend flashed me that stunning smile again.

Geez he had a nice smile.

"Only a few more things to cover Alfie! We should be done in a few hours!"

"What?!"

"Kidding!"

ooooooooooooooooo

_Ok so a vote._

_Who thinks I should switch to another group of characters now? I'll come back to Alfie of course! But want to see where others are?_

_Let me know what you guys think!_

_And thanks for sticking with me on this one and being patient! It's really appreciated!_

_3_

_Firestar47_


	9. Chapter 8

I glanced around, but everything was dark. I was dressed in all white. Huh. Well, whatever I guess. There was a small flicker of fire dancing on one of the concrete tunnels branching off from the long dark, damp corridor I was currently in. Dirt made a soft crunching noise under my feet. I began to edge cautiously toward the light. I had no clue where I was.

Keep your cool, Alfie. Why are you so scared?

"Well I'll tell you why, stupid brain. I had no idea where I was, and what was emitting that tiny flame." I murmured. Truthfully, I was feeling skittish. There was a loud crack and I swear I jumped about five feet, not to mention the howl of pain that followed, echoed by a cold and cruel laugh. "Had enough, Your Majesty?" sneered a voice. I peered around the corner and gasped in horror. A girl about fifteen or sixteen years old was bent over her knees on the dirt floor. A heavy chain shackled one of her ankles to the wall, and another cuffed her hands behind her back. Blood seeped from a gash in her cheek, leaking down and joining more blood on the earth. Her long blue jacket was in tatters and more crimson stained it. Long messy golden blond locks fell in front of her face, obscuring the rest of her face, but I could hear the mockery mixed with a bit of pain and tiredness in her voice as she spoke. "This is nothing compared to what you'll feel once they find me."

A man with dark brown hair stood over her, clothed in all black. A barbed leather whip hung from his hand, dripping blood. Around his waist hung different assortments of weapons, all having dried blood flecked on them. "Oh really? It's been quite a few days. Where's your knight in shining armor?" His laughter sounded like a strange barking and growling noise. The girl's smile faltered. "You know they have to be careful. We're on the brink of war." "And that," he grinned, "Is what makes this whole situation so delicious." The man reeked of blood, death, and rotting flesh.

I cringed as he brought his whip down again, scoring it across the girl's face once more, sending her into silence with only a hiss of pain. Blood splattered against the walls. I then noticed the source of light. A weak torch was light on the wall. "Ah. Even the magnificent kingdom of Spades bleeds." He barked out a laugh, closed his eyes, and licked some of the blood from his arm before opening them again and smiling, revealing razor sharp teeth. "Marvelous." He whispered, I noticed his eyes were red, glittering with cruelty. "Oh the things I could do to you…" he crowed while fingering his arsenal of… things…

Get a grip Alfie!

I exhaled and tried to calm my frantic heartbeat. Suddenly, the hand not clutching the whip shot out and grabbed the girl by the hair, yanking her head up. My heart speed up again when I caught sight of his long fingernails, filed into sharp points. Crimson was flowing from the crown of the girl's head. Seeing her face made me feel sick. Blood streamed from several cuts. Her cheek was bruised and her lip was busted up. Bits of earth clung to her tan skin. Thin gold-framed glasses rested crookedly on the bridge of her nose. The lenses were shattered and filthy. 'Geez. She looks worse then I did after my last fight…' Her blue eyes met mine and I saw her breathing visibly hitch, but she pretended to not have seen me, and the man didn't notice. Her smirk pulled up on her lips once more.

"Oh I don't know how much longer I'll be a… guest… here." She chuckled. "What? Is that insolence I detect?" spat the man. "Well I can soon remedy that. Lets see what friend you get the opportunity to meet."

His eyes went down to his belt and he began to mumble to himself, trying to pick out a 'friend', as he had put it. Instantly, the girl locked her eyes back on mine. They were filled with fear, but the exhaustion I saw was over powering. I took a step forward, not thinking, and her eyes went wide.

Once again, under the sole of my sneaker, there was a crunch. I froze. The man's head snapped around and his eyes narrowed when he saw me. My heart jumped into my throat as he started to prowl towards me. "Why hello there…" he purred in a sickly sweet tone, his red eyes filled with a false welcome. "RUN!" screamed the girl. His eyes darkened and he lunged forward, making a grab at my arm. Lurching backward, adrenaline had begun to lend me strength, speed, and agility. Without hesitation, I kicked up the object I had shattered, snatched it out of the air, turned tail, and fled down the dark hallway. Heaving, I weaved my way through the maze of tunnels, ignoring imploring cries from other captured souls. I rounded, yet another, corner sharply and smacked right into my pursuers chest. I cried out as I fell to the hard earth. "That's not polite at all." He said, flashing me a twisted smile. "I'm the dungeon master in this land. Where as people like you would get lost, I know where everyone is at all times. I know this place like the back of my hand." His smile twisted into a scowl. I clutched whatever I had picked up close to my chest, broken glass digging agonizingly into my flesh. As quick as it came, the man's scowl turned back into a smile. "I don't think you want to be my friend. Tch… Too bad. Well, I think you might like one of my personal best friends."

My blood ran cold, and my eyes widened. I knew what he meant. Still on the ground, I began to back up in a vain attempt to escape his clutches. "Now, now," he rebuked teasingly, "He wants to meet you dear. Don't be rude." As I tried to back away, he came closer until I was backed flush up against the frigid wall. A wickedly long and curved knife was produced from behind his back.

"M-Michael!" I screamed. "Michael, help me!" The man snarled. "Shut up brat!" he growled and slapped me hard across my face. He drew the arm with the blade back and thrust it at my stomach with force.

Suddenly I was jarred awake by a pair of strong arms and someone's stern speech.

"Alfie! Alfie, wake up!" snapped a familiar voice. My eyes flew open and locked on a pair of green ones with a ring of orange. Instantly I flung my arms around his neck. "M-Michael…" I whimpered. "Sh. Alfie its ok…" soothed the general, rubbing my back.

Now I wasn't crying, but I was pretty dang close to it. I mean, it was a dream, but my hand was still bleeding sluggishly from where I cut it on the glass. I'm pretty sure that if that man killed me there, I would've died here. My heart still pounded and just being close to Michael was calming me down. My gaze darted around the room, just to make sure I was in fact awake. It was the same one my friend had led me to after we were in the garden together. It was getting late and Michael had some job or another he had to do. He had taken me up to this spacious room. Wooden floors had blue and purple rugs on it and a desk in the corner. Bookshelves lined one of the walls and there was a fireplace in one of the corners. The bed was huge. It had four posts with curtains that could drape over them for privacy. Plush pillows were piled high on the cushiony bed. It was extremely fancy, most defiantly nothing I had ever experienced before. When I could talk and breathe normally again, he slipped my glasses on my face. "It was just a dream Alfie." "N-No…" I stammered. "Look…" I showed him my hands, and his eyes grew dark as he examined them. "Alfie. What did you see." He asked almost completely emotionless.

"W-well, there was this girl. And this guy was torturing her. But then he saw me and tried to kill me with his f-friend knife…" Michael shook his head and hugged me closer. "Describe the man for me." I shuddered "H-he had brown hair, red eyes, um… p-pointed nails and teeth, and a belt of weapons around his waist, a-and he wore all black. He s-said he was the dungeon master." "Good girl Alfie. How about the woman you saw?" questioned the general. I nodded. "She had long b-blond hair, thin gold glasses, blue eyes, a-and a long blue overcoat." Michael stiffened and turned me around to stare into his eyes again. "Alfie, I need you to try to remember. Did she have the black spade on her hands? This is important." I shook my head, wracking my brain to try and remember. "I-I couldn't see. Her hands were c-chained behind her back…" Michael cursed and stepped away from me, beginning to pace, talking to himself in hushed tones, obviously deep in thought. Hanging my head, I slipped my hands into my pockets. One of my fingers ran into something smooth. Maybe this would help him…

"B-but I accidentally stepped on this…"

From my pocket I pulled out a golden spade on a long gold chain. The heavy object had been hollowed out and the white face of a clock placed inside it. The glass over the face of the clock was shattered from when I had stepped on it, and blood was smeared on it, but it still ticked as if nothing was wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm very sorry guys.

I regret to inform you that I will no longer be continuing Freedom Fighters. Something personal happened, and, since I modeled my characters after my friends, I can't write a few of them properly anymore. I do apologize about this. I did have every intent on finishing it, and I have the whole basic plot line. If you would like to know what was going to happen, or would like to continue it on your own, let me know. And if you write more of it, please give credit where credit is due.

Once again, my sincerest apologies to whoever was reading this story.

If Firestar may give one word of advice, don't make people close to your heart your characters for a lengthy story.

Sorry


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